11 July 2023

The Queensland Residential Tenancies Authority (RTA) is campaigning for tenants to check whether they may have unclaimed bond money being held by the RTA. The RTA has reported the following:

• more than 114,000 outstanding bond payments are yet to be claimed, with almost half (46%) worth more than $300.

• the average value of an outstanding bond payment held with the RTA is $454.99.

• the oldest outstanding bond payment dates back to 1990.

The RTA reports on the issue as follows:

Queenslanders urged to claim 114,000 outstanding rental bond payments

The Residential Tenancies Authority (RTA) has launched a statewide campaign encouraging Queenslanders to claim their outstanding rental bond monies held by the RTA.

More than 114,000 outstanding bond payments are yet to be claimed, with almost half (46%) worth more than $300.

Customers can claim their outstanding bond payments by updating their details online with the RTA.

RTA Chief Executive Officer Jennifer Smith said reconnecting people with their forgotten bond monies is just one of the ways the RTA had been supporting Queensland’s renting community for over 30 years.

“While it’s hard to imagine forgetting to claim a rental bond, ending a tenancy can be a busy time for all involved,” Ms Smith said.

“Our oldest outstanding bond payment dates back to 1990, so if you’ve forgotten to claim your rental bond, regardless of how long it’s been, this campaign is your reminder to check in with us.

“In most cases, when a tenancy ends, the RTA will issue a bond refund to relevant parties to the bank account details provided. Sometimes these refunds are not successful, due to missing or incorrect customer details,” she said.

Customers can now submit an online enquiry via the RTA website to check their records and reconnect with any forgotten bond monies.

Ms Smith expressed the importance of Queenslanders keeping their details up to date with the RTA.

“The average value of an outstanding bond payment is $454.99, so it does pay to keep your details up to date with the RTA, as this ensures that you will be able to receive these funds quickly,” she said.

“Customer safety and confidentiality are a top priority for the RTA, so when completing the online enquiry form, customers will need to provide the RTA with information relevant to their tenancy and other key identification details.

“Our goal is to not only reconnect as many people with the money their owed now, but we’re also partnering with key sector groups, including the Real Estate Institute of Queensland and Tenants Queensland, to raise awareness of this campaign so we can reduce the volume of future forgotten bonds held by the RTA.”

To check if you are owed an outstand bond payment, visit rta.qld.gov.au/bondpayments.